Keyboard and membrane switch for keyboard

Abstract

A disclosed keyboard includes a housing with a base member, a top plane member, and a membrane switch installed inside the housing. The membrane switch has a first resin sheet, a second resin sheet, and a spacer resin sheet arranged between the first and second resin sheets. The membrane switch includes a UWB flat antenna that has an antenna element pattern formed on the first resin sheet, a microwave transmission line extending from the antenna element pattern, and a ground pattern arranged in a position facing the antenna element pattern.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A keyboard comprising:
 a housing including a base member and a top plane member; 
 a membrane switch installed inside the housing, the membrane switch having a first resin sheet, a second resin sheet, and a spacer resin sheet arranged between the first and second resin sheets; 
 wherein the membrane switch includes a UWB flat antenna having an antenna element pattern formed on the first resin sheet, a microwave transmission line extending from the antenna element pattern, and a ground pattern arranged in a position facing the antenna element pattern. 
 
     
     
       2. The keyboard as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the microwave transmission line includes a microstrip line type microwave transmission line. 
     
     
       3. The keyboard as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the microwave transmission line includes a coplanar line type microwave transmission line. 
     
     
       4. The keyboard as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the spacer resin sheet has a relative dielectric constant higher than that of the first and second resin sheets. 
     
     
       5. The keyboard as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 plural of the UWB flat antennas formed in the membrane switch. 
 
     
     
       6. The keyboard as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the plural UWB flat antennas are oriented in different directions. 
     
     
       7. The keyboard as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first resin sheet, the second resin sheet, and the spacer resin sheet each have a protruding part protruding in an outward direction, wherein the protruding part of the first resin sheet, the second resin sheet, and the spacer resin sheet are superposed on each other. 
     
     
       8. The keyboard as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the superposed protruding parts are bent in a direction orthogonal to the membrane switch. 
     
     
       9. A keyboard comprising:
 a housing including a base member and a top plane member; 
 a membrane switch installed inside the housing, the membrane switch having a UWB flat antenna including an antenna element pattern, a microstrip line extending from the antenna element pattern, and a ground pattern arranged in a position facing the antenna element pattern; 
 wherein the UWB flat antenna is a flexible sheet adhered to a part inside the housing; 
 wherein the flexible sheet has a front surface on which the antenna element pattern and the microstrip line are formed and a rear surface on which the ground pattern is formed. 
 
     
     
       10. A membrane switch used for a keyboard having a housing into which the membrane switch is installed, the membrane switch comprising:
 a first resin sheet, a second resin sheet, and a spacer resin sheet arranged between the first and second resin sheets; 
 wherein the membrane switch includes a UWB flat antenna having an antenna element pattern formed on the first resin sheet, a microwave transmission line extending from the antenna element pattern, and a ground pattern arranged in a position facing the antenna element pattern.